There is a growing trend to offer consumer products in larger sizes in discount and warehouse stores, and price clubs. Packaging that is designed for holding and dispensing liquid products require a handle when the package exceeds a certain capacity to make them practical for frequent use. Large volume containers used in such applications, especially for liquid products have evolved along two main lines.
Large capacity packages for commodity or industrial liquid products, e.g., mineral spirits, often have a facing that is rectangular in shape with a handle attached near a top of the container. The term facing refers to the overall viewable area within the silhouette of the container that is displayed to the consumer when the product is properly positioned on a supermarket shelf. This “brick shape” provides a large space for labels and graphics (essentially the entire facing) and allows efficient packing of the container on a supermarket shelf.
In contrast branded liquid products such as laundry detergents, fabric softeners, light duty liquids, dishwashing liquids, household liquid cleaners and shampoos for example, incorporate added value ingredient and functionality. The aesthetic qualities, i.e., style, ergonomic properties, and other features of the package contribute to brand differentiation. When viewed from a perspective orthogonal to the face panel, i.e., perpendicular or normal to the plane of the container that faces the consumer, such containers have an arcuate perimeter and a visible handle. This handle is usually integrated into the package design. As a result, the handle and the aperture formed between the handle and the body of the package (the “gripping aperture”) occupies a significant portion of the facing. This design greatly limits the available area on the facing for graphics, i.e., images and text that are printed or embossed directly on the container or on a film or label affixed to the container. For very large capacity packages, the handle and gripping aperture generally occupy an even larger portion of the facing to allow gripping the handle at different locations or balance points for convenient dispensing as the amount of liquid decreases during use.
Thus, it is desirable to develop a handleware container (i.e., container with a permanently attached handle) for household liquid products that has a significantly larger portion of the facing area available for graphics, yet retains the aesthetic and ergonomic properties suitable for value-added branded consumer products.
A variety of ornamental designs for handleware containers, alternatively known as bottles or jugs, have been the subject of design patents. These include: U.S. Pat. No. D471,465 to Sikra et al issued on Mar. 11, 2003; U.S. Pat. No. D461,717 to Crawford et al issued Aug. 20, 2002; U.S. Pat. No. D329,816 to Beaver et al issued Sep. 29, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. D323,981 to Satterfield issued Feb. 18, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. D303,929 to U.S. Pat. No. D303,929 to Ross issued Oct. 10, 1989; U.S. Pat. No. D221,516 to Crisci issued Aug. 24, 1971; U.S. Pat. No. D212,210 to Anderson issued Sep. 17, 1968; U.S. Pat. No. D210,443 to Mason issued Mar. 12, 1968; U.S. Pat. No. D208,169 to Platt issued Jul. 25, 1967; and U.S. Pat. No. D206,958 to Anderson issued Feb. 14, 1967.
Ways to improve the dispensing properties of large capacity handleware containers for liquid products have also been described in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,434,635 issued to Mason Jr. on Mar. 25, 1969 describes a symmetric container of square cross section having a spout and hollow handle that incorporates a channel or spine at the upper surface of the handle as a means of eliminating “glugging”. U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,979 issued to Athar on May 12, 1992 discloses a symmetric fluid dispensing container having a large U shaped handle that permits different gripping points, and a pour spout.
The present invention seeks improvements over deficiencies in the known art. Among the one or more problems addressed include a handleware container that has a significantly larger portion of the facing area available for graphics, yet retains the ergonomic and aesthetic properties suitable for added-value consumer products.